Skirt-hanger.



PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

No."779,081. 0. L. HORTON.

SKIRT HANGER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9, 1 904.

IINTTED STATES Patented J anuary 3, 1905.

PATENT OEEicE.

SKIRT-HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 77 9,081 dated January3, 1905.

Application filed February 9, 1904. Serial No. 192,733.

has for its object to provide a support which will fill out the upperportion of a skirt in its natural shape, and so cause the entire skirtto hang therefrom in a perfectly natural state.

A further object is to render such a support adjustable to vary thewaist and hip measurements and by them to change the general contour ofthe support to suit requirements.

Another object of this invention is to enable the hanger to be readilycollapsed, so as to occupy asmall space for packing or storing.

l/Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thedevices and parts and their equivalents, as hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters ofreference indicate the same parts in the several views, Figure 1 is asectional elevation of a skirt-hanger embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isa plan view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the runner.

In the drawings, 5 represents a guide rod or stem, which may be of anysuitable shape and material, but which is preferably a round wooden bar,as shown. Near the upper end of the rod 5 is adjustably clamped acrown-sleeve 6, having a thumb-screw 7 threaded in a boss thereof andengaging a friction-shoe 8, which consists of a strip of sheet metalloosely held within a longitudinal groove in the bore of saidcrown-sleeve by having its ends bent outwardly against the ends thereof.The turning of the thumb-screw 7 against the friction shoe 8 pressessaid shoe against the rod 5 to securely clamp said rod, and so preventaccidental movement of the crown-sleeve on the rod. At the lower end thecrown-sleeve 6 is provided with an outwardly-extending annu- 17, whichhave the pivotal pins 18 thereacross,

all parts being similar in all respects to the corresponding parts ofthe crown-sleeve. The crown-sleeve and the runner, as shown in thedrawings, differ only in that the former is shorter than the latter andis inverted, though they may be made precisely alike and may have thesame relative positions without affecting their operation.

A series of curved ribs 19, preferably formed of spring-wire, arepivotally mounted in the slots 10 of the crown-sleeve by having theirinner ends bent around the pivot-pins 11 therein, and when so mountedthey assume radial positions about the rod 5 and are braced againstlateral movement by their engagenient with the walls ofthe slots 10. Atintermediate points the rib-wires 19 are bent to form inwardly-extending coil-eyes 20,through which are pivoted the looped outer endsof stay-wires 21. Said stay-wires have their inner ends pivotallyconnected with the pivotpins 18 of the runner by being bent therearoundand are braced against lateral movement by the walls-of the slots 17 inthe same manner as the pivotal connections of the ribs 19.

It will be seen that the construction so far as described is similar insome respects to the construction of an ordinary umbrella, the radialribs being braced by stay-wires, having pivotal connections-therewithand with the adjustable runner slidable on the guide-rod. However, therunner in the present case is capable of moving higher up on theguiderod than the plane of the pivotal connections between thestay-wires and theribs, so that the collapsing operation is the reverseof that of the umbrella, and the runner is located at its highest pointon the guide-rod when the device is collapsed instead of at the lowestpoint, as with the umbrella. As the runner 12 moves upwardly from theposition shown in Fig. 1 it first causes the ribs 19 to swing outwardlyuntil the stay wires 21 reach a horizontal position. Then the furtherupward movement of the runner permits said staywires and ribs to moveinwardly, and when the runner has reached its highest position close tothe crown-sleeve the stay-wires 21, having their pivots close to thepivots of the ribs, give practically no support to the ribs, andconsequently both fold close to the rod 5.

The rib-wires 19 are bent and twisted to form upwardly-extendingelongated loops 22 at points intermediate of their inner ends, and thecoil-eyes 20 and the portion of said rib-wires between the loops 22 andtheir inner ends is practically straight and horizontal when said ribsare extended, as shown in Fig. 1, though the remainder thereof is gentlycurved, as shown in the drawings. The ribwires are not of the samelength, but on one side of the guide-rod 5 they are shorter than on theother side and have shorter stay-wires 21, and the rib-wires with theirstay-wires between the extremes are graduated in proportions, as clearlyshown in Fig. 2.

At the lower ends of theribs 19 they are bent back to form verticalelongated loops 23 somewhat similar to loops 22, and through the seriesof loops 23 is passed an adjustable hip-band 24, preferably of springsheet metal, having a series of perforations 25 on one end and aprojecting stud 26 on the other end to engage with said perforations.Sleeves 27 slide upon the overlapping ends of the hipband to bind themin their adjusted position by retaining the stud 26 in whicheverperforation 25 it has been placed. A waistband 28, similar in allrespects to the hip-band 24, is passed through the loops 22 and has itsends adjustable in the same manner as just described for the hip-band.

When the device is desired to be setfor use with a particular skirt, thewaistband 28 is adjusted to assume the size of the internal measurementsof the waistband of the skirt and the hip-band 2 1 is adjusted to assumethe size of the hip-measurements of the skirt, the runner 12 being freeto slide during such adjustments and the crown-sleeve 6 being rigidlysecured to the rod 5. When the two bands have been adjusted asdescribed, the runner 12 may be forced upwardly to bow the ribs 19 toany extentdesired and then fastened by turning its thumb-screw 13, orsaid runner may be fastened to the rod atits natural position producedby the adjustment of the waist and hip bands. Such adjustment of therunner 12 to increase the bow of the ribs 19 may be desirablyaccomplished after the skirt has been placed upon the hanger andfastened thereon as if on the wearer, and then such bowing of the ribsmay be made to we actly fill out the skirt, so that it will hang in itsnatural position.

Any suitable means may be employed for suspending or supporting thehanger, and I have shown for that purpose a vertical wire loop 29,having a horizontal stem with an eye on its end which is engaged by ascrew 30, turned in the end of the rod 5. The loop 29 extends toward thefront of the hanger, where it may be engaged with a clothes-hook or thelike in a closet or wherever it is desired to hang the skirt.

If it is desired to store or pack the skirthanger, the waist and hipbands are removed from their respective loops and the runner 12 israised to its highest position, when the ribs 19 swing inwardly, asbefore described, and may be fastened in their collapsed condition byany suitable means, such as by having the waist or hip bands woundthereabout.

While I have shown and described features in detail as I prefer to usethem, I do not wish to be limited thereto, for it is obvious that manychanges may be resorted to in accomplishing the same or practically thesame re sults by altering such details and without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention. For instance, the crown-sleeve 6 maybe rigidly attached to the rod 5, or the ribs and stay-wires may bepivoted together and to the crown-sleeve and runner in any otherdesirable manner, or the waist and hip bands may be made of othermaterial, though, as above stated, these details are preferred atpresent.

The crown-sleeve 6 is preferred to be adjustable upon the rod 5 in orderthat the waistband may be adjusted after the hip band has been adjustedand to render the bowing operation of the rib-wires more easilyaccomplished while the skirt is being held thereby, inasmuch as saidcrown-sleeve is more accessible at such time than the runner 12.

It is also obvious that the principles of my invention are notrestricted to skirt-hangers, but may be employed with other devices,such as coat-hangers and the like, and therefore I do not limit myselfto their application to any particular use, but reserve the right toapply them to whatever uses they may be susceptible of.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a skirt-hanger, a guide-rod, ribspivotally mounted thereon, means for supporting the ribs in an extendedposition, and a band connecting the ribs comprising a strip of sheetmetal provided with means for adjustably connecting its ends.

2. In a skirt-hanger, a guide-rod, ribs pivotally mounted thereon, meansfor supporting the ribs in an extended position, and a band connectingthe ribs comprising a strip of sheet metal, one end of the strip beingprovided with a series-of perforations, a stud on the other end'of thestrip to engage in the perforations, and sleeves surrounding the ends ofthe strip to hold the stud in the perforations.

3. In a skirt-hanger, a guide-rod, wire ribs pivotally mounted thereon,means for supporting the ribs in an extended position, loops bent andtwisted in the ribs, and a band passing through said loops.

i. In a skirt-hanger, a guide-rod, a sleeve adjustable thereon, wireribs pivoted to the sleeve, coil-eyes bent in the ribs, wire stayshaving looped ends engaging the coil-eyes of the ribs, a runneradjustable on the guide-rod to which the stays are pivoted, loops bentand twisted in the ribs, an adjustable waistband passing therethrough,loops bent at the ends of the ribs, an adjustable hip-band passingtherethrough, and means on the guid e-rod by which the hanger may besupported,

5. In a skirt-hanger, a guide-rod, resilient ribs pivotally mountedthereon, a hip-band and a waistband connecting the ribs, a sleeveadjustable on the guide-rod, and stays pivoted to the sleeve andconnecting with the ribs between the two bands whereby the movement ofthe sleeve on the guide-rod causes the ribs to bow more or less betweenthe bands.

6. In a skirt-hanger, aguide-rod, resilient ribs pivotally mountedthereon, waist and hip bands connected to the ribs, a sleeve slidable onthe guiderod, stays pivoted to the sleeve, and loops formed in the ribsbetween the bands, said stays having looped ends engaging the loops ofthe ribs whereby the ribs are caused to be bowed between the bands bythe adjustment of the sleeve on the guide-rod.

7. In a skirt-hanger, a guide-rod, ribs having pivotal connectiontherewith, said ribs being bent to form loops, a band passing throughthe loops of the several ribs, and means for distending the ribs.

8. In a skirt-hanger, a guide-rod, ribs having pivotal connectiontherewith, said ribs beingbent to form loops, a band passing through theloops of the several ribs, a sleeve slidable on the guide-rod, and staysconnecting the sleeve with the ribs.

9. In a skirt-hanger, a guide-rod, ribs having a pivotal connectiontherewith, said ribs provided with a straight horizontal portion attheir pivoted ends and being bent at the ends of the horizontal portionsto produce upwardly-extending loops with the remaining portion extendingdownwardly, a waistband passing through the upwardly-extending loops ofthe ribs, and means for supporting the ribs.

10. In a skirt-hanger, a guide-rod, ribs having a pivotal connectiontherewith, said ribs having a horizontal portion at their pivoted endsand being bent to form upwardly-extending loops at the ends of thehorizontal portions with their remaining portions extending downwardlyand bent to form intermediate loops and end loops, bands passing throughthe upwardly extending loops and the end loops of the ribs, a sleeveadjustable on the guide-rod, and stays pivotally connected to the sleeveand to the intermediate loops of the ribs.

11. Inaskirt-hanger, a guide-rod, ribs having pivotal connectiontherewith, means for supporting the ribs, a circular waistband connectedto the ribs and a circular hip-band connected to the ribs, said ribsvarying in their relative proportions so that the guide-rod will beeccentric to the circular bands.

12. In a skirt-hanger, a guide-rod, ribs having a pivotal connectiontherewith, means for distending the ribs, a circular waistbandconnecting the ribs, and a circular hip-band connecting the ribs, saidribs differing in their relative proportions whereby the circularwaistband and the circular hip-band will be eccentric to each other andthe guide-rod will be eccentric to both.

13. In a skirt-hanger, a guide-rod, ribs having apivotal connectiontherewith, means for distending the ribs, a circular waistband havingconnection with the ribs, and a circular hip-band having connection withthe ribs, said ribs differing in their relative proportions whereby thecircular waistband is eccentric to the circular hip-band.

In testimony whereof Iaffixmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

CATHRINE L. HORTON.

Witnesses:

R. S. (J. CALDWELL, ANNA F. SOI-IMIDTBAUER.

